User blog:Doomslicer/Comparing the New Chima MMO to LEGO Universe.
As it turns out, the Chima MMO is now in open Beta (wanna play? http://na.chimaonline.com/ ). I, of course, just had to try it out, hoping for something resembling LU. I've only played for a day, and I'll try to update this blog as I discover new things. I'll also upload some screenshots later. Comparisons to LU *Environments: The environments have a similar feeling to LU's. I get a sense of nostalgia just wandering certain areas. I suspect a similar if not the same graphics engine. That being said, there is a difference. Some of the high level areas, such as the Temple of Knowledge, are impressive and could easily have been in LU. *Bases: Much like LU, each player has their own little area to build up. Unlike LU, however, the bases are not designed for creativity, but rather serve as utilities. You can build currency-generators, forges, markets, etc. A major complaint (which aparently is common, judging by the message boards), is that Outposts are extremely small. Without membership, you can only build four larger buildings. *Items: Much like LU, enemies can drop items, which can be picked up and equipped in much the same way. There is no armor bar, but there is a high health bar that started out at 30 for my character (an Eagle). There are two weapon slots, which allow players to use both melee and ranged attacks. Consumables and Chi orbs are also dropped. *Combat: Combat is both similar and different from LU. It's similar in the style that there are two weapons the player can use (I'm assuming there'll be high level gear that takes both slots), and special abilities the player can utilize. It is different, however, as players click at who they want to attack, instead of pressing buttons. If you use a melee attack, your character will automatically move up to the enemy first. Certain weapons have recharge times. *Movement: This is one of the most notable differences. The game is click-based, so you click where you want to move and attack. While I prefer LU's keyboard-usage, the game's camera tends to stay in over-head, so it makes sense. I guess. *Patches: Another major difference is that, at least at this point in Beta, the game is completely hosted online on the game's website, no downloads required or available. While this makes the game more accessible, it also means slower computers may have problems that LU's downloadability solved. It also means the game won't be as complex or immersive as LU, at this point. *Bricks: Much like LU, bricks are droppable and buyable items. Their purpose, however, it much different. In order to build items and buildings. While complete weapons can be bought and found, frequently you will find blueprints for new items, which require certain different kinds of bricks. The bricks you input to it can change the color of the finished item. *Factions There are four tribes (Lion, Bear, Eagle, and Gorilla) to choose from, but they have little differences between them. Helmets/hats/goggles sometimes can only be equipped by certain Tribes. Wings can, surprisingly, be equipped in the Cape slot on any Tribe. *Currency Much like the LEGO console games, Studs are used as currency, but otherwise it's about the same as LU. There's also a premium currency called Gold Bricks, but more on that down below. *Membership/Premium Features Like LU, there is membership available. However, membership in this game functions quite differently. Membership is more like that of a traditional MMO, where it entails bonuses along the lines of boosted upgrades, exclusive items, etc. It is also worth noting that, unlike LU, there is a premium currency (Gold Bricks) in Legends of Chima Online. Membership also gives Premium Currency. Premium currency can, however, be acquired surprisingly easily. Enemies can drop it, and one Gold Brick can be earned every 18 hours from visiting friends and other players. *Voice-Acting Gallery Chimacapture3.PNG Chimacapture2.PNG|My favorite area, the ancient Eagle Temple of Knowledge Chimacapture1.PNG More coming later! UPDATE: Keyboard shortcuts have now been implemented. You can't control movement, but powers and Chi-ing Up now have keyboard keys. Category:Blog posts